


The Squip Enters (Reprise)

by CalicoJackOfEngland, ConstantlyTiredMess



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Also there's two endings, Kinda ooc??, Multi, Pinkberry, You know its pretty ooc, and rushed into the fic, and we kinds wanted an excuse to write angst, boyf riends - Freeform, ehhhhhhhhh, even though its ooc, one good and one bad, ooc but idk, richjake, soooo, sorry - Freeform, there's gonna be rewrites, we just really liked the idea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 00:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13693515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalicoJackOfEngland/pseuds/CalicoJackOfEngland, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConstantlyTiredMess/pseuds/ConstantlyTiredMess
Summary: It’s been 3 years since the squip has been gone. Things are finally normal, and they’re finally “cool in college”. However, with an early morning mishap and some “Crystal Pepsi,” everything takes a turn for the worse.Hey! ConstantlyTiredMess here, and I just wanted to say that this fanfic is going under some pretty heavy editing, so it would be best to read it later. Then again, do whatever you want. Thanks!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is the first fanfic I’ve written, so don’t judge it too harshly. Also, I am co-writing this with my friend Jake! So yeah. This will update, but not on set dates.

I jolted awake with a start when the loud, siren-like scream of my bedside alarm sounded. Swiftly, I turned around to slam on the off button, and then the dorm once again fell back into a comfortable silence. I wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep in my nice warm bed, to lull back into the dream I had been having, but the reminder of my seven o’clock class pulls me away… I guess that’s just life in college. A loud snort interrupts my contemplation, and squint across the still dim room, making out the snoring figure of my best friend, and roommate, Michael. I’ve known this boy since kindergarten, and he isn’t exactly, well, a “morning person”. I swear he could sleep through the goddamn end of the world.

“Welp, time to go, I guess.” I murmured to myself in a whispered groggy voice. As I stood up, my feet wobbled awkwardly, as if attempting to make me fall back into bed. I raised my arms above my head, stretching with a groan and I headed over to my dresser. I pulled on my clothes, my normal navy blue cardigan and striped shirt, and the same old blue jeans. Then to the bathroom, to wash my face and at least make my hair look somewhat presentable. My normal morning…. _urge_ ….came onto me, but I couldn’t help but remember the painful shocks I once endured, and nearly threw myself onto the floor for push-ups out of habit. Things hadn’t been normal since the SQUIP, not for a long time. Granted, it seemed longer than it had actually been. It seems like I’ve been living with the effects for a century, but in reality, it’s only been three years. Michael had stayed with me the entire time, and he’s been more supportive in the aftermath than I could ever hope to express. I couldn’t be any more grateful for him.

I hadn’t heard from the others for a while. The last time we saw Christine, she was doing pretty well for herself. She had gone on to broadway, of course, and even got the part of Elizabeth in this amazing musical called Hamilton, made even more amazing just by her being in it. Michael and I went to see her perform once, and there’s no denying it, she truly is talented. Rich was working in construction the last time we heard from him, and was doing well. Jake was still in football, coaching at our old high school, and, last I heard, Rich and Jake were actually in a relationship and living together. But due to us all being so busy we hadn’t had any time to really talk at all, and the last chat we had was about a year ago. We had completely lost touch with Brooke, Chloe, and Jenna immediately after high school though, which is something I’ve never really forgiven myself for.

Suddenly my alarm went off again, breaking my daydream, and… _Shit!_ I was late! I gave out a nervous yelp and began rushing around, pulling on two different shoes and shoving a stale pop tart in my mouth that was left on the counter before sprinting out the door. My first class, computer science, was all the way across the campus. My aching lungs stung from my panting as I sprinted cross the huge open field between the buildings of the college. In my rush, I didn’t realize that I was about to trip over a girl sitting in the middle of the grass that grew above my ankles.

“Wo-oah!” I yelped, stumbling over the girl’s outstretched legs, before collapsing in the grass.

“ Oh my god! Are you okay?” The girl asked, setting down the papers she had been holding in order to move closer to me. “I am soooo sorry!”

“N-no, no, it’s fine, really.” I said, looking at my mismatched shoes to avoid making unnecessary eye contact.”I should have been paying more attention, it’s just that, y’know, I was late and a-“

“Oh. My. God! Jerry?” The girl paused, thinking. “No, wait… Jeremy?!”

Huh? How did this girl know my name? I looked up slowly, still kind of awkwardly, when I saw that familiar girly face.

“Brooke?”  
“Jeremy!”  
“ W-what are you doing here?” I stammered, feeling my face go warm. It’s not every day you run into one of the hottest girls you’ve ever met. That you may or may not have treated like crap because of the… yeah.

“ I go to school here. What else would I be doing in the middle of this field?” She said, finishing her statement with a laugh.

“O-oh, right… That makes more sense.” I manage to get out, standing as I do so. I reach out my hand to help her up as well, and she gratefully accepts.

“Well, um. What classes are you taking?” I ask, genuinely interested in finding out what she did after high school.

“Oh! I major in fashion design! It’s actually a lot more fun than I imagined, and last week we had a huge project for costume design! I decided to bring back the old ‘sexy dog’.” She said, happily remembering her very... _original_ costume idea. “And you?”

“ I actually have computer science, which is basi- SHIT! I HAVE COMPUTER SCIENCE! LIKE, RIGHT NOW!”  
I take a quick glance down at my phone, and, oh my god. I’m 12 minutes late.

“I- I have to go!” I explain to Brooke. “Maybe we can catch up later! Over coffee or something?” I ask as I gather my things.

“Yeah, okay! Sounds good. By the way, my number’s still the same!” She called out to me, as I had already began running to class.

“Cool!” I yell back.

I make my way to the main building, slamming open the door as I make my way inside. I sprint to my class, and open the door as quietly as humanly possible. I almost make my way to my seat, before...

“ Mr. Heere. How wonderful it is that you could join us. Please take a seat, as _some_ of your peers care about their education, and do not take kindly to interruptions.”

Shit.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter. Jake is gonna be getting his own account soon, so yeah.

Well fuck. So much for being discreet. I mutter a half-hearted apology as I make my way to my seat.

“Nice shoes!” I hear a kid snicker from the back of the class. I turn around, and locate the guy who had just spoken. He had brown, shoulder length wavy hair, and a dark hoodie. I looked down, remembering my interesting choice in footwear today.

“C-connor!... Be nice!” I hear the boy next to him stutter. I recognize him, from another class. Evan something or other. He seems nice, but very anxious and awkward. Then again, who am I to talk?

Whatever. I sit down and doodle absently on a scrap of paper, not really paying attention to the lesson. I make it through class, but pick up on the fact that apparently there’s a test tomorrow? I wasn’t aware of that. Guess this means another all-nighter spent cramming before the test.

I slowly get up from my seat and gather my books, shoving loose papers in binders as I do so. I leave the classroom, tripping on some computer cords when I exit. The halls were alive with the endless chatter of my various classmates, the humming of electronics, and the bustle of everyday life. I see that guy… Um… Connor (I think that’s his name) slink down the hallway like a cat with Evan walking quickly behind him to catch up. There was another boy beside him as well, seemingly laughing at his own joke. He had short brown hair, glasses, and was wearing an open purple unbuttoned shirt with a dark grey shirt underneath .

I heard a very flustered Evan stammer, “Jared! D-don’t say those things when, you know…” He gestured vaguely in Connor’s general direction.

“C’mon, he’s gay and pining, _you’re_ bi and pining...” Jared prompted.

I quickly walked away, seeing Evan’s now visibly pink face and sensing his uncomfortableness, not wanting to intrude on their conversation. Besides, I had other things on my mind. Not only did I run into Brooke, I had a test I completely forgot about.

I made it through the rest of my classes without issue, taking notes here and there, ignoring comments made about my shoes, and I gathered my things after my last class ended, preparing to walk back to the dorms to meet up with Michael. I stepped outside and stood still for a moment, closing my eyes and breathing in the crisp air, momentarily forgetting my troubles. I felt my pocket buzz, and lifted my phone to see a text from Michael. Pizza! I began walking towards my destination, eager to get there before the food got cold.

Walking across the open field, I heard a familiar voice call out my name.

“ Jeeerrrreeemy!”

It was Brooke. I turned towards the sound of her voice to see her running toward me, arms waving wildly as she attempted to catch my attention. I slowed down, allowing her to catch up with me.

“Jeremy! I’m glad I caught up with you!” She said between pants, trying to catch her breath.

“Oh hey Brooke, what’s up?” I said, checking the time on my phone while I did so.

“Well, nothing _really_ , it’s just that I texted you, but it was a wrong number or something. It wouldn’t go through.” She said, a slight frown tugging on her lips.

“ Oh, that's right! I got a new phone number.” I quickly explained. “Here, I’ll text you I guess, ‘cause you still have the same number.” I took out my phone and sent a quick ‘hi’ to her existing contact.

“Great! Now that I have your phone number, we can actually catch up.” She said, replying to my text with a smiley face.

We stood idly, talking about this or that, until the topic of high school came up.

“ Hey, do you remember Chloe?” I asked. “You guys were like, best friends. Are you still in touch with her?”

Her face turned pink, and she looked surprised, then timid, looking down at the hem of her shirt. That’s odd. Brooke’s usually one of the most outgoing people I’ve met, so for her to act shy?

“I. Uh… Yeah. I’m still hanging out with her.” She mumbled, voice barely carrying.

“Is something up? Has she changed?” I’m kinda concerned at this point. Sure, Brooke can be quiet, but when talking about her best friend? Something’s _gotta_ be up.

“NO! I, I mean, she’s still the same as ever. You know, pretty, funny, great sense of style, caring…” Her voice trailed off, and by this time she was hiding her face in her hands, practically trying to shrink. Huh. I remember when I used to get flustered like that over Chr- Wait a minute…

“Do you…” I began, still awkward when it comes to stuff like this. ”Ya know… Like her?”

“Of course I like her! She’s my best friend!” She exclaimed, suddenly defensive. She ripped her hands away from her face and looked at me with an expression that was practically begging me to stop.

Still I persisted.

“You know the kind of… of _like_ I mean.” I gave Brooke a long stare, which she ignored for a full minute, suddenly now very interested in her phone.

“Oh my gosh, would you look at the time!” She said, breaking the former uncomfortable silence. “I should really get back to my dorm.”

She backed away quickly, turning around and breaking into a run.

“See you later Jeremy!” She yelled, not even bothering to look behind her.

Well. That was that I guess. I made it back to my dorm, opening the door to a loud-

“Jeremy!” My best friend Michael came bounding up to me from his seat on the couch. “The pizza’s gotten cold.” He paused. “I guess it doesn’t really matter, I mean, pizza is pizza, am I right?”

“Yeah, sorry. It’s just, I ran into Brooke, y’know, from high school? I got kinda sidetracked.”

“Brooke? Dude! That’s awesome! She goes here?” He asked, smiling.

“Yeah! She does go here, and she’s still hanging out with Chloe.” I told him.

“That’s awesome! Hey, I guess best friends just have to stick together.” He said with a nudge, elbowing my stomach lightly.

I agreed with him. I looked around our dorm, which is large enough to contain a tv, two beds, and a couch, along with a tiny mini-fridge. I grabbed a slice of pizza from the box, then positioned myself to sit comfortably in front of the tv to play video games. See, when we moved out of our parents’ houses we realized that our consoles were gonna go to waste, so we brought them with us. Best decision of our lives. A few hours later, I stood up to get some water, and realized what time it was.

“Dude, it’s like 11:15.” I said, walking over to stand beside the couch.

“Yeeeah,” Michael said with a yawn. “We should probably head to bed…”

He stood up from the couch, stretching and moving to turn off the tv. I really wanted to sleep, but I had a test tomorrow.

“Actually, I have to study for a test, which I completely forgot about,” I explained to him. “I’m gonna fail if I don’t study tonight.”

“Bleh. I hate tests. Whatever, don’t turn into a zombie while staying up all night, all right?”

He chuckled softly, mostly to himself as he made his way back to his bed, not even bothering to change out of his hoodie. Well, time to get to studying. I take out my notes and began reading. God, why didn’t I just pay attention in class? I could be sleeping right now… Right. Back to work.

As I was reading my eyes became sore, and my eyelids heavy. My notes gradually became scrambled chicken scratch rather than actually coherent words, but I kept going. I had to remember as much as possible. I had to pass, no matter what. From the other side of the room I heard Michael snoring, and I turned around for a moment to look at him. He was sprawled out in his bed, still fully dressed and not actually covered. Typical. It was just like Michael to be able to fall asleep anywhere, anytime, while wearing anything. Ah, I’m getting too distracted. I need to study.

Hours passed before I looked at the clock again. 2: 45. My class does start at 7 tomorrow, but I’ll be fine. Despite my better judgement, I decided it would be a good idea to put my head down for just a moment, just to clear my thoughts…..

 

***

Great. I must’ve fallen asleep last night. I should have just kept studying. How could I have fallen asleep?! What time even was it now? I looked over at the glowing red numbers on my desktop clock, 6: 47.

I yelp and shoot up from my desk, shoving the loose papers and books into my bag while wiping at my mouth. I don’t even have time for breakfast at this rate. Opening the mini-fridge we own, I look for something easy to eat or drink, something to keep me awake. I grab some soda Michael bought. I squint my eyes at the label. Crystal Pepsi. Huh. So _this_ was that soda he got from that really shady guy at Walmart. After Spencer’s went out of business, he had to get his sodas from various places. I never really liked it, but it’s fine.

I head out, yelling a quick “bye!” to Michael before closing the door behind me. I walk downstairs, and open the door that leads outside. I begin walking across the field, which is empty today, and open my soda. Tilting my head back, I take a few sips before closing it. That’s weird. It tastes almost exactly like... like…

“AHHHHHHHHHH!” I fall to the floor, convulsing.

“Jeremy Heere.”

no.  
no.  
No  
NO.  
That voice. I thought I’d never, ever-

“Welcome _back_ to your Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor. Your SQUIP.”

Holy Fu-


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one's short. More action will come in the next few chapters haha.

“ You didn’t _really_ think you could get rid of me that easily, now did you, Jeremy?”

No...no, NO! This is a dream! This isn’t real! This _can’t_ be real!

“ Oh, this is _very_ real Jeremy.” The SQUIP’s voice spoke with a condescending manner, sneering as he rematerialized in front of me, causing me to fall back and trip over my own feet.

“N-No! I got rid of you back in highschool! You were turned off permanently!” I screamed.

“ You _really_ thought some soda will get rid of me? I deserve more credit than that.” He began, letting out a menacing chuckle.

“I’ve been in here the whole time, which is why I know that you need my help,” he continued, pointing at Jeremy’s head. “Honestly Jeremy, look at yourself! Wearing the same clothes since high school, tripping over your own feet… and don’t even get me started on your lack of proper hygiene. Don’t you care what others might think of yo-”

“ NO! You know what? I don’t fucking care what others think of me, or how I dress! You did absolutely nothing but ruin my life!” I cut him off, screaming at his all too familiar frown. He turned around and walked a few paces away. I-I did it? I intimidated him? Wow. I thought it would be more difficult tha- Shit. My eyes stung as I felt a shock shoot up my spine.

“Ruined it? I _improved_ you. _Everyone_ admired you… But look at you now. Without me you’ve reverted to your old, pathetic self. You _need_ me.” His nose wrinkled and his voice came out as a snarl. My heartbeat plummeted then began to race, faster, faster. Every beat of my heart felt unstable, like I would die at any moment, the pain nearly unbearable. I began to cry, tears pouring down my cheeks.

“ Tears off.” He spoke sharply, and suddenly my tears were unable to come out.

“ Pull yourself together, Jeremy. You have to get to class, remember?” His tone of voice cut through my whimpers like a knife. He was right, as much as it sickened me to say so.

“Get up,” He commanded and my body stood up. I was no longer in control of it, just like.. the night of the play. I shook my head, shaking the memories of that night away. My heart rate skyrocketed, and my eyes felt hot, but no tears came out. I- I can’t breathe. No matter how hard I tried to resist, I couldn’t regain control. Before I even registered it, I was walking through the door to my classroom, and everything around me seemed to move in slow motion. The SQUIP let go when I sat down. I vaguely heard my professor announce that the test was beginning, and I glanced down, flipping through the pages, roughly evaluating what I know. I felt my SQUIP take minor control, and I found myself flying through the answers. Well... At least I won’t fail.

Wait! I just realized! Michael will know what’s going on! He’ll know how to help me!

“Oh no he won’t.” I felt sick. How could I forget the SQUIP knows my thoughts? What’s wrong with me?

“Michael can’t help you this time Jeremy. I’m back and i'm here to stay.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh sorry this is so late! Finals were jhgkslkaslj, but we'll hopefully be able to update a lot sooner now!

I stood up and handed in my test, hands shaking as I did so. Plopping down in my seat, I shuddered, closing my eyes. _ Don't think. Don't think. Don't think. _

 

“Jeremy. That isn’t going to work. You are aware of that, right?” The SQUIP pointed out. I opened my eyes, looking up to make eye contact with the very thing that had ruined my life. He didn’t seem to be upset. In fact, he looked bored, simply raising his eyebrows as I glanced over at him. I looked away, grimacing as I felt the eyes of my peers on my back, reflecting how exposed I felt.

 

_ ‘How… How could this happen?”  _ I thought to myself, tapping my fingers on the side of the desk in an attempt to distract and calm myself, still taking shallow breaths.

 

“Simple,” The SQUIP began. “You see, that ‘Crystal Pepsi’ that you chose to drink just so happened to be Mountain Dew Ice, which-”

 

“Did I ask for your input?” I interjected, angrily cutting him off, and earning myself some weird looks from my classmates. Right, gotta remember to just think, not speak. 

 

“No you didn’t, but I gave it anyway, since you obviously weren’t smart enough to ask for it.” He paused, and let out a quiet chuckle, seeming satisfied with my flabbergasted expression. “Now, as I was saying, you ingested Mountain Dew Ice, not Crystal Pepsi. Mountain Dew Ice is a relatively new invention, but one of the many effects of it is that, when one possessing a deactivated squip drinks it, it will reactivate, with minor improvements and bug fixes, of course. Now, I’ll convey the rest of my information on our way to the library,” He began looking expectantly at his (digital?) watch. 

 

“What are you talking about?”  I scoffed. “In case you haven’t noticed, class is still going on…” I trailed off, being as I was interrupted by the bell. Dammit. As much as I hate to admit it, I did need to head to the library, seeing as I had an overdue book that I promised Michael I would return for him. I crudely shoved my books into my backpack, hauled it over my shoulders, and begin walking briskly, the squip floating at my side. 

 

“Alright Jeremy,” He said, pulling up a wide, see-thru screen which seemed to be made of pure light, and opened a file labeled ‘Memories’. “I’m simply going to analyze every moment in your life since you turned me off, to be able to better affect your life.” His eyes glazed over as he stared into nothingness, but open closer inspection, I noticed that all my experiences were flashing for a brief moment in his pupils. I looked down, tugging at the hem of my cardigan, when I heard something that made my head snap up again. The reason I did so was because the SQUIP had begun muttering to himself . He grimaced, mumbling, “no, no, I’ll have to fix that…. Good, good,.... Michael? Really? Well, no accounting for taste….” Taste? What could that possibly mean? 

 

“Unimportant, Jeremy. What is important, is that your reputation isn’t nearly as low as it was when you first powered me on. In fact, with a little help, you could be more popular than ever.” He turned to me, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow. “That is, of course, if you listen. If not, I’m afraid I will have to… get physical.” I suddenly thought back to the play, junior year, when the SQUIP controlled my entire body. What the fuck? I didn’t think that. 

 

“ A new feature of mine. I can now force you to recall memories, whenever I see fit. I’m sure this will save us valuable time.”

 

I broke out into a sweat. This- this is even worse than last time. If I’m not even in control of my thoughts, am I even… me? Wait. 

 

“I, uh… what did you say that drink was? How did it end up in a bottle of Crystal Pepsi?” 

 

“ Ah, yes. Mountain Dew Ice. I believe it was due to the fact that your friend Michael got scammed.”

 

“Scammed? What do you… what?”

 

“Well, if my memory proves correct, which it is, I seem to recall that Crystal Pepsi stopped its production in the 90’s. Old sodas are rather hard to come upon, so it seems that Michael’s seller wanted an easy way to make money, and filled the empty soda bottles with Mountain Dew Ice.” The squip leaned against the door of the library in the middle of his last sentence, seeing as we had arrived at the library located in the northeast side of the campus. I let that thought process in my mind. Well, now that I know that it is, i can figure out a way to get it out. I pretended to look at the detailed wood of the doors, while the SQUIP opened up a new file, this one labeled ‘Daily Schedules- Jeremy and Michael.’ I glanced back, making sure he was completely immersed in his reading, before snatching my phone out of my pocket, and typed ‘Mountain Dew Ice” into the google search bar. I had gotten no farther than “Mountain Dew Ice is a clear, lemon-lime Mountain Dew flavor released on-“, when the SQUIP marched over and smiled. I suddenly felt my hand close the tab, and turn my phone off. I turned it back on. Fuck this shit. I know! I’ll text Brooke! I’m sure she can help!

 

“I’m afraid that won’t be an option Jeremy. You see, one new feature of Mountain Dew Ice, and my personal favorite, is that it doesn’t just turn on your SQUIP. It turns on ALL previously linked SQUIPs.” He chortled snidely, turning around, and said over his shoulder, “Now come along. We have work to do.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We know we said we were going to update more frequently, but honestly we seem to be doing the opposite haha

 

   The SQUIP walked up to the library door, then turned to face me.

 

      “Open the door, Jeremy, and remember: walk in like you own the place. Let the others cower in your unwavering newfound ‘confidence’, “ The SQUIP ordered, peering into my eyes, which shifted slightly under his penetrating gaze.  

 

      “I-um. Sure. Y’know what? Sure.” I reluctantly agreed. I figure, I can, uhh, wait this out till I can call Michael or something. I… yeah. Hearing a chuckle behind me, I whipped around. The SQUIP simply covered his mouth, shrugging, and slowly I faced the door again. Alright. I breathed in slowly and exhaled at the same speed. This is still a lot to get used to. Placing my hands on the door, I shoved… Way too hard. The doors quickly slammed the walls on either side of me, and about six people glanced up to look at the source of the sound, startled.

 

     “I, just. Sorry.” Feeling my face turn red, I took a few steps side to side. 

 

      “Jeremy, cease that at once. Hide the pathetic mess that you really are.” The SQUIP said this with no malice, as if he was just stating the facts. Well… I guess in a way, he is. I walked into the library, setting my bag down in an empty chair, and began rummaging through it. I shoved loose papers and old, unfinished homework aside, stopping suddenly. Ah-ha! Michael’s (overdue) book!

 

     “Now then. Return the book which your ex-friend gave you, since he is apparently too lazy to return it himself.”

 

    “Hey! Don’t talk about Michael that way! He’s a better person than you’ll ever be,” I snapped.

   “That’s to be expected of course. I mean, I’m not exactly a person.” 

 

    “Just stop.” I need him to shut up. I had been so relieved when the SQUIP left, relieved that I wouldn’t have to hear him talk shit about everyone, and now he’s doing it again. I felt more obligated to defend Michael than I did about defending myself. I guess it’s because that I let the SQUIP’s words get to me in junior year, and I let Michael know how I felt. I had gotten to a point where I just felt above everyone else, like them and their feelings didn’t matter. Well, at least not Michael’s. I still cared about what the popular people thought about me, but Michael? “Get out of my way, loser.” Ugh. I hate that. I hate how I acted. I hate... Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I stepped in line to return the book, with only a couple people ahead. I assumed the SQUIP was behind me, but he had disappeared.

  
  
  


 “Now Jeremy,” -I jumped as the SQUIP suddenly popped up behind me- “ Do you see that brunette girl at the counter?”

 

“Yeah, duh.” Where was he going with this?

 

  “ Well, when she turns around, you’re going to follow my directions and flirt with her. She seems relatively pretty, so you should have no problem with that.” The squip glanced at me, gauging my reaction. 

 

    Suffice it to say, I wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea. 

 

“What? How will this help?!” 

    The SQUIP rolled his eyes in annoyance, grumbling about my ungratefulness.

 

      “Jeremy, I have calculated every outcome. I know for a fact that this girl is 19, like you, and that she is considerably more popular than you are. Her name is Zoe, and even though you are going to flirt with her, you are not going to date her. You are simply presenting yourself as bold and confident.” He nodded, urging me to step forward. Oh, it’s my turn. Rubbing the back of my neck, I cautiously took a couple of steps, faltering.

 

     The girl turned to face me, a cheery smile present on her face. She  _ was  _ kinda pretty. She had light brown hair pulled back by a bobby pin, and long eyelashes that framed her hazel  eyes. She was wearing a cute white shirt, a pink cardigan, and blue jeans.

 

    “Hey, how can I help you?” She leaned forward in her chair, glancing down at a piece of paper she had been drawing on, before looking up at me.

 

     “I have a book to return for my friend,” I quickly explained, sliding the book across the counter. She grabbed it, opening the cover, then scanned it quickly. She laughed softly, and typed the code into the computer.

 

“What’s so funny?” I was intrigued.

 

    “Oh, nothing. It’s just that my brother once bought this same book, and gave it to our dad as a gift to piss him off.” I craned my neck to see the title: “Benefits of Marijuana.” Well, knowing any reasonable parent, that didn’t go too well.

 

       “Anyways, do you have his card with you?” She held her hand out expectantly.

 

    “Uh. Yeah, I think so?” I stuck my hand into my cardigan pockets. Got it! No, that’s  _ my  _ card. This one! “Here.” I placed it in her palm, and she scanned it into the computer.

 

  “Hmm.. It doesn’t seem to be working.” She frowned at the display screen. “Do you think you could gimme a second to type all his card info in?” 

 

  “Yeah, sure.” She shot me an appreciative smile, then went back to her computer work.

 

  “Jeremy, now’s your chance.” The SQUIP pointed out. “Make your move.”

 

  I took a deep breath to steel my nerves...

 

  “A-Are you Bing?” I begin. She looks up at her computer to stare at me, confused. “Because you’re all I’m searching for.” I tripped up a bit in the last word, and I wince, grimacing as I look back to see the SQUIP staring at me in utter disgust and shock. 

   “Jeremy. I am appalled.” 

 

    “I know, I know, horrible line, but that’s all I know!” I hear my voice crack with frustration.

 

  “What? No. I mean, Google is far superior.” He scoffs, turning up his nose. I glanced back at Zoe, knowing how weird I look at the moment.

 

As I looked at her, she chuckled, flushing. 

 

“Fix your error, Jeremy.” The SQUIP reprimanded me, shaking his head in disapproval.

 

“Er, I… I mean. Actually-I just. What I was trying to say is…” I quickly became a rambling mess, with my stammering getting worse the more nervous I got. Great. I attempt to pretend that I’m cool, and end up looking lamer than ever. I slowly stop, looking down at my shoes, and rub the back of my neck, feeling my face go red. 

 

   “Hey,”-I look up at her- “that was sweet.” She finishes her statement with a laugh, no longer red. She looks down at her hands, now occupied with fiddling with a pen. “ You actually remind me of someone I know. He’s nice, but really anxious.”

 

   “Oh, um, thank you?” How to respond to that?

 

  “No no, I meant it in a good way. You seem nice, what’s your name? I’m Zoe.” She stuck her hand out, and I shook it, glad that that went over well. Well, not well, but it wasn’t a disaster. 

 

   “Oh, uh, I’m Jeremy. That was supposed to be cooler, by the way.” Why does my voice crack at the worst moments? 

 

  “Okay Jeremy.” She said this with a smile on her face, making it clear she wasn’t making a joke at my expense. “Hey, uh, if you ever wanna, y’know, hang out,”- She scribbled on her paper, ripped it, and slid it across to me- “I’m free tomorrow. But, uh, I’m actually in a relationship. So if you wanna be friends, I’m all for it, but if not…” 

 

   I look down. It’s her number. Oh, ok. I didn’t want this in the first place, but I look over at my SQUIP for approval nonetheless. He gives me a satisfied nod, then tilts his head as to say, ‘c’mon.’

 

     I quickly say bye to Zoe, then follow my SQUIP out of the library, to the field near the dorms. 

 

   “Thank god that’s over. I could barely stand that y’know. The whole ‘flirting against my will’.” I set my backpack down, then plopped down next to it, and looked up at my SQUIP. “Are we done with this, so I can actually go home?” My SQUIP’s small smile caused by my  my success dissipates immediately, and he neutralizes his expression. 

 

    “Sorry Jeremy. You’re gonna have to wait a while for that. You see, I can’t allow you to spend any more time than necessary around Michael, so we will head on over there after he finishes his classes, and then falls asleep waiting for you. Since it’s only 9:30 am, we have quite a while before then. I hope you’re ready to listen and obey, because I’m going to fix you in this time that we have. We can first get you some new clothing, since you obviously reverted back to your tasteless ways.” 

 

     Oh my god. He’s doing it again. He’s separating me from Michael, forcing me to do things I don’t want to do, and eventually, he’ll change me completely. But wait, Michael and I live together. How…

 

   “What about in the morning? I’m gonna be there when he wakes up, so your plan won’t work.” I proclaimed the last sentence with an air of confidence, feeling that I bested the SQUIP at last. 

 

     “No you won’t Jeremy. The probability of that happening is very low, since I’ll be getting you up at 5. Michael, as you know so well, is rather lazy, and usually isn’t up till 8 on average. You’ll be fine,” he 

 

    I really don’t want to do this. I really,  _ really  _ don’t want to do this. My mind swims with countless ways this could play out, none of them good. Or even okay. 

 

    “Wait, wait, wait. My classes don’t start till seven. What’ll I be doing for two hours?” I pick at the grass near my backpack, intent on distracting myself from this conversation, on these events that my brain still hasn’t been able to process. 

 

  “Well, we have to get you into shape somehow,” the SQUIP chortled. “I’m sure we can find a gym near the campus.”

 

  Great. Just what I wanted, an exercise regimen. I let out an exasperated sigh. It’s going to be a long day. 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah honestly we feel like this is pretty ooc, not the crying, but we feel like he would be a little more calm about it, I dunno.

   Ugh. Hugging my knees to my chest, I half-heartedly glance at the person in the bed adjacent to mine, somewhat regretting my decision to stay up all night.  _ Stop it,  _ I reprimanded myself. I needed to do this. It’s been two weeks since Jere stopped coming to our dorms when I was awake, and when he did come, he left when I was still sleeping. I laid back, exhaling softly, and began to study the paint on the ceiling, all the while worrying about what I should do. He can’t leave without me knowing.  

 

      Jeremy lets out a little laugh in his dream, and I direct my attention towards his sleeping figure. He’s sleeping on his side, with the covers coming up to his chin. His brown hair flops forward, covering a bit of his eyes. He seems so peaceful when he’s sleeping. Cute…

 

_ Not the best time.  _  Shaking my head, I reach over to my bedside table, and grab my phone. I wince at the sudden brightness, trying to check the time: 4:57. Ew. I hate mornings. However,  I have a feeling Jere will wake up soon, seeing as when I woke up yesterday at 5:30, he was gone already. I plop back in bed, and close my eyes. Not a minute later I hear him stir in bed, then I hear the creak of the floorboards, and a sigh from Jeremy. Bingo. I squint my eyes at him, watching as he heads to the fridge, picking up a gym bag as he goes. I softly get up, and creep up behind his silhouette, which is illuminated by the the mini-fridge’s light. He reaches in, moving around this and that, when I decide to clear my throat.

 

    “Hey Jeremy,” I began. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Mind explaining why?”

  
  


   Jeremy whirled around, a smile growing on his face, which quickly gave way to a panicked expression.  _ Yeah, I bet you’re worried now that I caught you,  _ I gloated internally. I put my hands in my hoodie’s pockets, having not bothered to change out of yesterday’s clothes. 

       “No, Michael, you don’t understand! It’s not my faul-“ Jeremy stopped mid-sentence, looking shocked, then he smirked. “It’s not my fault you’re such a pussy.”

 

   I started. “Wait, what?” I racked my brain, trying to recall something, anything, any interaction that would cause Jere to act this way. 

 

    “You heard me, Mell. I simply decided that, y’know, it’s time for me to move on, grow up. I mean honestly, what kind of loser has only one friend?” 

 

    This isn’t how I expected this conversation to go.

 

     “Jeremy, what are you talking about?” I questioned incredulously. “We’ve been best friends since kindergarten!” I shout, then wince. I didn’t want to raise my voice, dammit. His words hurt, but I’m more angry than sad at the moment.

 

   “Ugh. Don’t remind me,” he complained. He turned his attention to the fridge once again, his back towards me. “Anyways, that’s over, thank god. If I had to spend another minute with a weirdo like you…” He shuddered. 

 

“Jeremy!” I feel the tears welling up, but I won’t let them fall. I can’t let Jeremy see that his words actually stung. “What the fuck is-is wrong with you?” My voice cracks under the pressure, something that  _ never _ happens. “How do you go from coolest person ever to… this?!

I thought you were happy! We- you were finally cool… ‘cause of, I dunno, college.” I mumbled the last sentence with almost no volume whatsoever, so I don’t even know if he heard me. Jeremy paused for a second, then spoke.

 

“I gotta go. Don’t wait up.”

 

And with that, he slammed the fridge door loud enough to rattle the drinks inside, and left the room, gym bag slung over his shoulder. I followed him down the hallway with my eyes, noticing now that he had slept in his clothes, like me. Maybe it was a result of him getting here so late. I don’t care. Right?

 

    I closed the door, fuming. I stood there for who knows how long, breathing unsteadily, then I realized what had happened. Jeremy just… deserted me, like I was just some worthless waste of a human being.

 

_ Oh my god. God, please no. Stop. Not again. Stop it stop it stop it stopitstopitstopitstopit.   _

 

       My tears began falling, slowly at first, then fast and heavy. My sobs shook my whole body, and I slid down the closed door, collapsing in a heap at the bottom. I hurriedly tried to wipe my tears away with my hoodie sleeves, but they wouldn’t cease. 

 

    I stood up, still sloppily wiping at my tears, and headed towards the door, intent on making it to the bathroom down the hall before anyone saw the blubbering mess that I was.

 

      I shoved my hood onto my head and stared at the floor as I walked there, although, it was 5:30 in the morning, so not many people were up. 

 

    I opened the bathroom door and stared at my pathetic reflection, eyes red and puffy.

 

_ Maybe he’s right. I never really fit in, but I thought… I... That had never mattered, ‘cause I had my-my best friend by my side. But now.. I really am just a… a loser.  _

 

I grabbed a fistful of paper towels and began wiping my face, eventually giving up and realizing I had ripped the paper to shreds. I bent down to pick them up, then gave up and sat down, hugging my knees to my chest and hiding my face. 

_       Jeremy, I’m sorry. Whatever I did… I just. I don't know.  _

 

I apologized to Jeremy a million times in my head, knowing all the while that I had done nothing wrong. But I felt this irrational guilt, like a voice in the back of my head saying, “Michael, of  _ course _ it’s your fault. You did this to yourself.” Dammit, I hate this so muc- Voice in my head. That… Jeremy. The SQUIP.  The last time Jere acted this way was because of that fucking floppy disk, but… It’s gone. The Mtn. Dew Red got rid of it. Or, did it?

 

_ Don’t be stupid.  _

 

    There’s only one way to figure this out. 

 


End file.
